Fear Not

Call to Worship

Isaiah 54:1–3 NKJV

“Sing, O barren, You who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, You who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate Than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord. “Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your stakes. For you shall expand to the right and to the left, And your descendants will inherit the nations, And make the desolate cities inhabited.

Intro

Body

Genesis 21:1–8 “And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—Isaac. Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.” She also said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.” So the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the same day that Isaac was weaned.”

At the appointed time, the Lord visited Sarah and she conceived.

There was no chance this was a natural conception

It was a miracle performed by the hand of God

Hebrews 11:11–12 “By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.”

Abraham called his son Isaac, which means ‘laughter’

Abraham laughed when God told him he would have a son

Sarah laughed when God told her she would bear a son

Sarah is laughing after Isaac is born.

Ishmael is going to laugh in mockery at Isaac.

God was faithful and in due time provided Abraham with the promised son through Sarah

So Abraham was obedient in performing circumcision at the appointed time

Abraham is 100 years old when Isaac is born.

Sarah is 90.

Ishmael would be about 14.

Sarah is laughing in amazement.

Not only did she miraculously give birth to a son in her old age, but

but she is also able to nurse him

God has preserved her health.

Abraham is a wealthy man and could have had a wet nurse for his son

Isaac was weaned, probably around 3.

Abraham prepares a great feast to celebrate this landmark

Genesis 21:9–13 “And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, scoffing. Therefore she said to Abraham, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, namely with Isaac.” And the matter was very displeasing in Abraham’s sight because of his son. But God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed shall be called. Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed.””

Ishmael, 14 years older than his little half-brother, laughs and mocks the child as Abraham celebrates his weaning.

Sarah is the one that sees this happening and reports to Abraham.

“Hagar is referred to as “the Egyptian”, perhaps a reference to the 400 years of oppression by foreigners in a foreign land from Genesis 15:13.

Galatians 4:21–31 NKJV

Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar—for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children—but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren, You who do not bear! Break forth and shout, You who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children Than she who has a husband.” Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

Genesis 21:14–21 “So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba. And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs. Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the boy.” So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.” Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink. So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.”

Conclusion/Application

Fear Not

Of course we have the application from Galatians “Cast out the bondwoman”

A very good theological application of this text

Ishmael.

We are not told how much he or Hagar knew about the promise that God had given Abraham

“Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed.”

But God made a promise and he is faithful

Things did not look good when they were kicked out of their home

Things did not look good when they ran out of water in the desert.

Things did not look good when Hagar left her son under shrubs to die.

But God had promised Abraham that Ismael would be made into a nation because he was Abraham’s son.

As Christians, we are children of Abraham through Christ.

Our life situation might not look good

Our health might not look good

Our job situation might not look good.

Our church situation might not look good.

Whatever issues can happen this life might be afflicting us,

but if we are in Christ, we are His.

We put one foot in front of the other

We do the next thing God has for us

pressing on to the prize

John 16:31–33 “Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.””

Fear not.